Any updates, do you have the engine together and the car running now?

Yes! Thank you for asking. I've been extremely busy with work (actual, pay-the-bills work) so I haven't had much time to work on the X5, or post updates, though.

But I do have the engine back together and running. I've put about 300 miles on it since the top-end rebuild. I'm still chasing a few little issues, but it's mostly sorted now. But I have to say that whoever worked on it last time really screwed it up. Actually, there is a more appropriate way to describe the job they did, but children might be reading this so I won't say it. When putting the cams back in, a couple of the nuts for the bearing caps wouldn't tighten. I thought the studs were stripped so I ordered a complete set of studs to replace them all. Thankfully they are cheap, because it turned out the problem was that the holes themselves were stripped - just like the ones for the head bolts. One even had another frikkin helicoil in it! So, just like for the head bolts, I ordered a Time-Sert kit to repair the stripped holes. I thought it would be smart to check the exhaust studs while the head was still off and, you guessed it, more stripped threads. More Time-Serts to the rescue.

I can't get the Check Engine light to stay off because there is a fault in the O2 sensor heating circuit. I am getting a code for all 4 sensor heaters. I replaced both of the pre-cat sensors when I had the engine taken apart and the code is still coming up, so it's not being caused by the sensors themselves. I'm going to check the fuse and see if it's blown. If so, I need to trace all the wires and try to find what's causing the fault.

There is also a very loud and annoying squeak in the rear suspension that I traced to a bad ball joint in one of the upper wishbones. The parts are on order to replace that.

I had to replace a leaking seal on one of the front driveshafts, so I went ahead and drained and refilled the front diff. I didn't have enough oil to do the rear also, so I ordered a couple more quarts of Red Line 75W-90 and a bottle of D4 ATF for the transfer case.

I also just noticed that both foglights are burned out, so that's on my list. I also have to get the display for the MID rebuilt due to excessive dead pixels. I had the same problem with two E39's.

The last item on my list is a 4-wheel alignment. I had to replace both tie rods and did a DIY alignment and it actually seems to track fine. But it still needs to be done by a pro.

Here are some photos of the engine going back together. Plus a bonus that my wife took! She thinks that maybe I get a little too much into cars. Maybe she's right…

http://www.creative-pro.net/cars/x5/reassembly_1.jpg



http://www.creative-pro.net/cars/x5/reassembly_2.jpg



http://www.creative-pro.net/cars/x5/reassembly_3.jpg



http://www.creative-pro.net/cars/x5/reassembly_4.jpg



http://www.creative-pro.net/cars/x5/reassembly_5.jpg



http://www.creative-pro.net/cars/x5/reassembly_6.jpg



http://www.creative-pro.net/cars/x5/Me.jpg

Wow that's alotta work!

Congrats on getting it going!

Yeah, no kidding! :) But it's fun. I am a web developer in my day job and this stuff is so different from what I do all day that it's very therapeutic for me. There is something very satisfying about spending a day getting covered in grease and oil and then having an actual motor vehicle that can be driven around afterwards.

Good work. Now we, ATL X5 owners, should meet up.
Plz hit the ENTER key after every img code. Look like a huge panorama right now :D

Pics fixed! Good suggestion.

If somebody wants to set up a meet in or around ATL, post it up somewhere. I think that would be a great idea.

:iagree:

Great work. :)

I want to buff those headlights so bad LOL!

Green Goblin mod ftw! :p

Impressive work!